Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher has called on Ministers Denis Naughton and Heather Humphreys to act and give real power and authority to the newly established Taskforce on Mobile Phone and Broadband services.
The taskforce which was established in July of this year as part of the programme for Government to unlock barriers to investment in mobile phone services, to improve availability of mobile phone signals and to provide initiatives for practical solutions for areas which currently cannot avail of mobile phone signals or broadband services.
Pat the Cope added the taskforce must directly involve the relevant Government and state agencies as well as other agencies of state such as ComReg and the Telecommunication operators.
He added that the solutions to the ongoing crises of poor mobile phone signals lies in a multi-agency and cross departmental approach and co-operation.
“Whilst this newly established taskforce is welcome in its approach – its success will depend on the powers and authority it retains for delivery and on how it can compel commercial operators to provide services to less populated, more rural areas which are often the most difficult areas to provide Mobile Phone signals and broadband access for,” he said.
He urged the two relevant Ministers of the Government to ensure prompt delivery of the taskforces recommendations – to be followed with prompt and directed actions in order to solve for once and for all the crises of poor or no Mobile phone signals throughout Ireland and especially Donegal – likewise the issue of broadband needs direct action on a cross departmental basis.
He said the existing telecommunications infrastructure, such Tetra Ireland masts utilised properly and to maximum usage can provide a greater part of the solution to this problem, similarly in many places the communications infrastructure needs upgrading or in the instances of rural Ireland completely new infrastructure needs to be provided in order to deliver a proper and available mobile phone signal.
“The taskforce in order to be effective must act, must have the power to act and must have the full and complete support of the Government in order to deliver,” added Pat the Cope.
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